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Federal, municipal agencies issue fire restrictions

Casie Forbes, STG
10:13 p.m. MDT June 20, 2014

A hillside burns off Old Highway 91 near the Shivwits Reservation Friday, June 10, 2011. The Bureau of Indian Affairs issued fire restrictions on June 16 for the Shivwits Band and Kaibab Band Reservations to help prevent potential fires.(Photo: The Spectrum file photo)

ST. GEORGE – With red flag warnings being issued on almost a weekly basis in Washington County, federal, state and municipal groups are implementing fire restrictions to help reduce the amount of human-caused fires this year.

The Bureau of Land Management, Dixie National Forest, National Park Service, the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs issued a collaborative news release on June 16, issuing fire restrictions in southwest Utah and northwest Arizona.

Stage one fire restrictions began on Wednesday. The restrictions in unincorporated privately owned and all state owned lands in Washington County prohibit:

• Setting, building, maintaining, attending or using open fire of any kind, except campfires and charcoal fires within agency approved fire pits and grills provided in developed recreation sites and picnic areas, or a permanently improved places of habitation. Devices fueled by petroleum or LPG products are allowed in all locations.

• Smoking, except in enclosed vehicle or building, or a developed recreation site or cleared areas of a minimum of 3 feet in diameter down to mineral soil.

• Discharging or using any kind of fireworks, tracer ammunition or other pyrotechnic devices.

• The cutting, welding or grinding of metal in areas of dry vegetation.

• Use of exploding targets that are detonated when struck by a projectile such as a bullet.

These restrictions don’t apply to incorporated towns and cities except for state-owned lands within the incorporated areas, according to the release.

Similar restrictions are in place at the Dixie National Forest, Zion National Park, the Shivwits Band and Kaibab Band reservations, and the BLM Color Country and Arizona Strip Districts.

Local government officials also began issuing restrictions this week as the Fourth of July holiday approaches.

On Thursday, St. George Fire Deputy Chief Kevin Taylor suggested the St. George City Council implement fire restrictions this year because the restrictions “worked well last year.”

“I think people were fairly responsible,” Taylor said. “Our incident numbers were down, although they were still pretty high.”

St. George City Manager Gary Esplin responded, “Obviously, because it’s been very dry this year, we have real concerns about Fireworks.”

An interactive map is available online, sgcity.org/index.php#tab-4, for St. George residents to see whether they are within a firework-restricted area.

According to the Santa Clara City website, the Santa Clara Fire Chief signed an order prohibiting fireworks within 250 feet of dry washes, drainages, river and stream corridors, hillsides, plateaus, mesa tops and undeveloped, open spaces or natural terrain.

Ivins City implemented stage-1 fire restrictions, as well as prohibiting fireworks from being ignited west of 400 West and within 250 feet of dry washes, drainages, river and stream corridors, hillsides, plateaus, mesa tops and undeveloped open spaces or natural terrain.

LaVerkin declared stage-2 fire restrictions, which sets the use of fireworks by anyone other than the city to be limited to all city-owned park property in the area of Wanlass Park and Vintage Park between 11 a.m. to midnight on July 4 and 24, and between 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. three days prior and three days after the holidays.

Hurricane Valley Fire District Chief Tom Kuhlmann said Hurricane City implemented firework restrictions to specific parks, including the American Legion Sports Complex, Three Falls Park and the Spilsbury Sports Complex.

“Make sure you’re complying with the firework restrictions for the area you’re in,” Kuhlmann said. “We’ve been experiencing red flag warnings for about the last month and a half. The conditions are conducive for fires.”

To see a full list of fire restrictions by area, visit TheSpectrum.com.

Follow Casie Forbes on Twitter, @CasieAForbes.

Fire Restrictions:

The following acts are prohibited until further notice.

Unincorporated privately owned and all state owned lands in Washington County:

• Setting, building, maintaining, attending or using open fire of any kind, except campfires and charcoal fires within agency approved fire pits and grills provided in developed recreation sites and picnic areas, or a permanently improved places of habitation. Devices fueled by petroleum or LPG products are allowed in all locations.

• Smoking, except in enclosed vehicle or building, or a developed recreation site or cleared areas of a minimum of 3 feet in diameter down to mineral soil.

• Discharging or using any kind of fireworks, tracer ammunition or other pyrotechnic devices.

• The cutting, welding or grinding of metal in areas of dry vegetation.

• Use of exploding targets that are detonated when struck by a projectile such as a bullet.

Dixie National Forest, Pine Valley Ranger District:

• Igniting, building, maintaining, or using a fire, including charcoal and briquettes, outside a fire structure that is provided by the Forest Service within a designated area, (all developed recreation sites e.g., campgrounds and picnic areas, that are maintained and administered by the Forest Service, shown on the current Forest visitor maps, and have a permanent fire structure). Stoves or grills that are fueled solely by liquid petroleum fuels are allowed in all locations.

• Smoking outside an enclosed vehicle or building unless stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is clear of all flammable materials.

• Note that discharging, or using any kind of fireworks, tracer ammunition or other incendiary devices in any location on federal lands is always prohibited.

The National Park Service, including Zion National Park and Pipe Spring National Monument:

• Igniting, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire outside a fire structure that is provided by the National Park Service within a designated area, (agency approved fire pits and grills provided for in developed recreation sites and picnic areas). Stoves or grills that are fueled solely by liquid petroleum fuels are allowed in all locations.

• Smoking outside an enclosed vehicle or building unless stopped in an area at least 6 feet in diameter that is clear of all flammable materials.

• Note that discharging, or using any kind of fireworks, tracer ammunition or other incendiary devices in any location on federal lands is always prohibited.

Bureau of Land Management - Color Country District:

• No campfires, except in permanently constructed cement or metal fire pits provided in developed campgrounds and picnic areas.

• Grinding, cutting and welding metal.

• Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order.

• Detonation of fireworks and exploding targets or devices.

• Note, devices fueled by petroleum or liquid petroleum gas are allowed in all locations.

• Charcoal burning in developed campgrounds or picnic grounds within permanent fire rings or grills constructed of metal or concrete is allowed. In undeveloped camping locations, charcoal must be set in metal pans in areas clear of flammable vegetation within 3 diameter feet.

Bureau of Land Management - Arizona Strip District, including the National Parks Service portion of the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument:

• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove other than in a developed campsite or picnic area of the Virgin River Campground and the Arizona side of the Stateline Campground. Persons using a device solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off can only be used in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within 3 feet of the device.

• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or improved site or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

• Use of fireworks, flares or other incendiary devices.

• Welding or the use of any torch or metal cutting equipment.

Bureau of Indian Affairs administered trust lands on the Shivwits Band and Kaibab Band Reservations:

• Igniting, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire outside a fire structure that is provided within a designated area, (agency approved fire pits and grills provided for in developed recreation sites and picnic areas). Stoves or grills that are solely fueled by liquid petroleum fuels are allowed in all locations.

• Smoking outside an enclosed vehicle or building unless stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is clear of all flammable material.

• Discharging, or using any kind of fireworks, tracer ammunition, or other incendiary devices in any location on federal lands.